Squier jazz bass (especially 60s)...what was your first upgrade?

[sheepdog]

Since many people are buying these as a decent platform for some modifications, what was your first mod? Preamp? Pickups?

 

[retardedpossum]

I did them both at the same time.

 

[The Birdman]

I have a Squier Vintage Modified 70s Jazz. My first upgrade was to pitch the flimsy OEM bridge and replace it with a Badass II. This was not for tone or sustain, it was simply to get a bridge that I could trust to hold adjustment.

Roger

 

[shawn-o]

I got one of the deluxe 5'ers. First mod was a set of nordstrands and a set of schaller tuners. Had it completely rewired back to passive w/ cts pots (v-b-t).

 

[Captain Simian]

A friend of mine got the CV jazz and the first thing he swapped out were the pots and cap. That alone made a huge world of difference.

 

[sheepdog]

I was looking at the 60s jazz and thought about these:

-drop in an Audere jazz plate preamp (the pickups sound good)
-put "stick on" MOP block inlays on the neck
-paint the headstock to match the body (but would it be difficult to match the color without having to refinish both body and headstock
-chrome neck "ashtray" pickup cover

for people that swapped out the pots, were the stock just noisy or did you use a different type of pot? (500 instead of 250...)

 

[Professor Jones]

I didn't mod anything. It doesn't need any, unless you're after something special. The stock pots work really well, feel sturdy and don't make any scratch noise.

 

[sheepdog]

how difficult would it be to find a paint match for a matching headstock? Does a Squier dealer have paint to match?

 

[ohskigod]

I have a 70's SVM fretted. changed the bridge first (BAII), to me it improved the tone a little and the sustain ALOT....and I liked it.

I put a tort pickguard on as well, and some Fatbeam strings. its plays so nice I really dont want to change anything else. An Audere might go on down the road, but I like the pickups too much to change them.

 

[sheepdog]

I liked the sound of the Squier at least as much as the sound of his higher end jazz in the youtube clip

 

[The Birdman]

for people that swapped out the pots, were the stock just noisy or did you use a different type of pot? (500 instead of 250...)

My VM fretted Jazz had 500Ks and I replaced them with 250Ks, to go with the schematic for the pickups I put in (75 RI).

Stock pots weren't noisy, but I wanted to replace pickups and pots as a unit to match 75 RI. The pots I put in were Fender label 250K CTS solid shafts. And yes, you WILL have to do some Dremel work to make them fit.

Roger

 

[TMBTC]

My 60's CV sounds great without any mods.
I saw this vid on youtube It compares CV's to real fenders,
You might be surprised!

 

[sheepdog]

My 60's CV sounds great without any mods.
I saw this vid on youtube It compares CV's to real fenders,
You might be surprised!

yep, that is the video I was referring to. It sold me on the CV series

 

[bh2]

Great vid... I thought they all sounded nice but the CV Jazz was the most versatile... not so keen on the slapping although I fully understand why... great editing...